Bridge Two Essay

Outside of all the madness of Los Angeles and Koreatown lies an old Japanese restaurant named Noshi Sushi. Noshi Sushi serves a variety of sushi and cooked Japanese food, and they are mainly known for their quality, taste, and good prices that most people can afford for a casual dinner. Noshi Sushi identified by their antique japanese dishes and interior design. Since I have been going to Noshi Sushi for so long, it has begun to feel like a second home to me and I have grown up to see it change itself. From watching this restaurant evolve, I have discovered that change is inevitable and that you’re not always aware of when it is needed. Just like my memories of Noshi Sushi, other Asian cultural icons such as potter Shōji Hamada, filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, and rapper Dumbfounded have all demonstrated that change is inevitable and we don’t always know when more development is necessary.

One artist that connects to my memories in many ways is Shōji Hamada, a Japanese potter. He was a significant influence on studio pottery of the twentieth century, and a major figure of the mingei folk­art movement, establishing the town of Mashiko as a world­renowned pottery center. Throughout a lifetime dedicated to making pottery he achieved international recognition and his works have been collected by museums across the world. One of his specific pottery style was called Raku. Raku ware is a type of Japanese Pottery that is traditionally used in the Japanese Tea Ceremony, most often in the form of tea bowls. It is traditionally characterised by being hand shaped rather than thrown; fairly porous vessels, which result from low firing temperatures; lead glazes; and the removal of pieces from the kiln while still glowing hot. In the traditional Japanese process, the fired raku piece is removed from the hot kiln and is allowed to cool in the open air. The familiar technique of placing the ware in a container filled with combustible material, introduced by Paul Soldner, is not a traditional Raku practice. Raku techniques have been modified by contemporary potters worldwide. Hamada influence was felt not only in his native Japan, particularly in Mashiko, but also in the West. One reason I chose Hamada was because of his pottery reminded me of the antique Japanese style dishes used in Noshi. Although not close to as expensive/intricate as Hamada’s pieces, the dishes used in Noshi had very similar style and design. Another reason is that Hamada was important in establishing Mashiko as a destination for day tourism and overall giving life, respect and growth to the developing city which just as Koreatown has gained change over a long period of time thanks to the help of many individuals and groups.

Jonathan Park, better known as Dumbfoundead, was raised in Koreatown, Los Angeles (also known as Ktown). He represents the upcoming of Ktown and has a lot of pride in it because he has been living there ever since its upbringings. He is a well known rapper and is associated with many Korean companies that had brought their businesses to Ktown. Dumbfounded, just like Noshi Sushi, is located in Ktown and has also been there since the beginning of Ktown and has watched it grow into a bustling city. Going through the many years of recession, poverty, and riots both have shown signs of strength, change and growth in various ways.

Hayao Miyazaki is a famous leader in film and Japanese Animation. His company, called Studio Ghilbi, has produced countless movies that have had a huge impact on my life and the rest of the world. Miyazaki has been a huge inspiration of mine for most of my life. Ever since I was a child, I watched Studio Ghilbi films because my dad would always play them for me. Miyazaki retired in 2013 but Studio Ghilbi is still running. One of the reasons I chose Miyazaki is because as a child whenever I would eat Japanese food it would mainly be at Noshi and every time I went it reminded me of his films mostly because of the interior of the restaurant. Another reason is Miyazaki in his film Princess Mononoke shows real world problems with modern industrialization and development, and at a young age its hard to fully grasp what is being said/shown in the film but I always understood it in a sense because he portrays industrialization in a way that can be understood in a spiritual sense and real world sense. His other films are also very touching but I chose Princess Mononoke because I feel as though it ties in with the growth of Ktown and the problems it went through to become a big hustling city. Though Miyazaki has retired, his departure from the company might be for the best, and saddened fans might not know how much change in this old Animation Studio might be exactly what it needs to improve itself.

A few years ago, Noshi Sushi went under new ownership. I was worried that the restaurant the I loved would change and not be the same, but the owner had a goal to keep the same ambience while upgrading the things that needed to be changed, such as adding more intricate dishes to the menu, raising certain prices on the menu, and re­painting the interior. The new owner also added new doors and new furniture to advance the design. The upgrade restored the restaurant and brought it back to life. I didn’t even notice how old the restaurant had begun to look over the years. I learned a good lesson from this, that change is inevitable and can be something you might not even know you need or is currently happening. Shōji Hamada, Dumbfounded, and Hayao Miyazaki all show when change and development can be a good thing, and is inevitable. Just like Noshi Sushi, the cultures around these three cultural icons have changed for the better and helped society help adapt to their changing culture.